


May Your Dreams Bring You Peace (In The Darkness)

by Baccatapages



Series: The Life And Lies Of Dante Trevelyan [1]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Implied/Referenced Torture, Light Angst, M/M, Reincarnation, Unrequited Love, Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2021-01-02 14:29:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21163175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baccatapages/pseuds/Baccatapages
Summary: Suledin shook his head. He pursed his lips and tightened his grip on Solas, as if he feared he may slip away if he let go. “You’re going to do it, aren’t you?”“I… I am. You don’t approve?”Suledin sighed. “The world has changed, and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes, the best that we can do, is to start over.”





	May Your Dreams Bring You Peace (In The Darkness)

Skyhold was in a flurry of distress and agitation.

The Inquisitor, Dante Trevelyan, had returned from an exploring elven ruin gravely ill. Vivienne had managed to keep him alive until a spirit healer in Skyhold could see to him, but even she was not confident the Inquisitor would survive.

Solas only heard the news when he heard Vivienne telling Dorian about it. He couldn’t help but feel slightly affronted that Vivienne would tell Dorian before him, but then he would remember that Dorian and the Inquisitor were in a relationship. A fairly serious one, if Solas was correct.

That sent an uncomfortable pang through his heart. He couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw his oldest and dearest friend alive but as a human and carrying his mark back in Haven. Dante and Suledin had the same spirit, the same energy, and heir appearance was so strikingly similar that Solas was sometimes caught off guard when he noticed Dante’s ears were not pointed.

“What was that about the Inquisitor?” Solas asked abruptly, slightly startling Dorian who was practically falling down the stairs.

“He’s ill, apparently.” The Tevinter looked agitated. “He was exploring an elven ruin, touched something and then boom, he’s got a high fever and is hallucinating.”

“Perhaps I might be able to offer insight if I know what the Inquisitor touched.” Solas offered. He had a feeling Dorian didn’t care what Solas did, so long as Dorian could get to the Inquisitor’s side. The necromancer left in a hurry while Solas went in search of Vivienne.

She was pacing the balcony and was taken aback when she saw Solas standing in the doorway. “Solas.” She greeted curtly.

“Dorian said the Inquisitor touched something in the elven ruin.” Solas began. “I was wondering if you knew what he might have touched.”

“It was a tapestry.” Vivienne sighed. “It had a wolf and a dragon on it. Green and bronze, before you ask.”

“Was it part of a scene?”

“No. It was like a portrait, with the dragon sitting behind and the wolf in front.” Vivienne said. “And it was strange?”

Solas frowned. “Why?”

“The dragon only had four limbs. Its hind legs and its wings. I’ve never seen any dragon like that.”

He had, Solas thought bitterly. They roamed the skies with the griffons and were what Suledin used as a beast of war. Solas knew exactly which tapestry Vivienne spoke of, and he had a feeling he knew which ruin Dante et al visited.

The ruin was once a citadel that overlooked the Eastern Sea and it was where Solas had lain in uthenera, undisturbed thanks to the strong magic woven into the stone as one last gift from Suledin.

It pained Dorian to see Dante like this. He was normally so stubborn and determined not to be stuck in bed that to see him so… vulnerable was distressing.

The rogue was muttering incoherently, tossing and turning. Dorian tried several times to get Dante to recognise him, but every time, blank eyes stared back at him.

He had calmed down now, after the spirit healer gave Dante a draught to help him sleep, and Dorian was sitting by his bed and reading a book still trying to find Corypheus’ name. Dorian looked up when movement caught his eye.

Dante was waking up and obviously confused as to where he was. “There now.” Dorian said, putting his book away. “Don’t strain yourself.”

“No no no no- please-please i-I’m sorry I failed you i-“

Dorian shushed him, not even sure that Dante could hear him. What he did know that Dante was fighting sleep and with a bit of encouragement, Dante fell back into an uneasy sleep.

There was a quiet knock on the door and Dorian went to answer it, surprised to see Solas. “Solas, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I wonder if I might check the Inquisitor’s mark, to make sure it isn’t troubling him.”

“Oh, of course. While you do that, I am going to find some food that he might be able to keep down.” Dorian grimaced and left Solas with the Inquisitor.

Solas gently inspected the anchor on Dante’s hand, pleased to see that it wasn’t looking too bad. He startled when Dante’s hand tightened around his own.

“_Solas_.”

Solas looked down and for a moment, could see Suledin staring back at him. “Suledin?” His voice was hoarse.

“You’re alive.” Suledin tugged Solas’s hand close to him. “I thought-I’m so sorry, I failed you.”

“You did no such thing.” Solas insisted.

“I swore to protect you and I abandoned you.”

“I came to no harm in uthenera.” Solas said. “You have broken no oath.”

Suledin started shaking and Solas could see tears in his eyes. “Elvhenan crumbled and Tevinter- I led armies and we were winning. We were finally winning. And then- and then they killed my dragons. My brothers and sisters. Butchered them and had their heads as trophies. They captured me, Solas. They tortured me. Until I couldn’t take it anymore. I fled through the Fade and never looked back. What does that make me?”

“A survivor.” Solas said firmly. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to-“

Suledin shook his head. He pursed his lips and tightened his grip on Solas, as if he feared he may slip away if he let go. “You’re going to do it, aren’t you?”

“I… I am. You don’t approve?”

Suledin sighed. “_The world has changed, and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes, the best that we can do, is to start over_.”

Solas could hardly believe his ears. Surely Suledin would want to see Elvhenan restored, the elves restored. And yet there was truth to Suledin’s words. “And so you turn to a Tevinter for comfort.” Bitterness laced his voice.

Large, pale green eyes blinked sleepily at him. “Solas, ma vhenan, this world has changed both of us beyond recognition. I am not the same one you loved and who loved you all those ages ago.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?” He whispered.

It appeared that Suledin had no answer for him. He looked away in shame and when he turned back, his eyes widened. “Solas? You’re alive?”

The Inquisitor was well and up on his feet again by the end of the next week and didn’t seem to remember anything that happened while he was sick. Dorian was complaining that he couldn’t even be angry about when Dante threw a spoon at him, the one Dorian had been trying to encourage Dante to eat some porridge with.

Solas was frequently lost in thought after speaking to Suledin for that brief moment that he did not register the invitation that was put on his desk. For a wedding.

He only noticed it late one night after raiding some of the tiny, frilly cakes that Dante sometimes made when he was in the mood.

_My dearest Solas,_

_You are invited to the wedding ceremony and afterparty of Dante Trevelyan and Dorian Pavus_

_We hope you can attend_

Solas’ mouth went slightly dry.

The ceremony was in a hidden grove not far from Skyhold, littered with candles and flowers. As Solas looked around, slightly uncomfortable in the tailored clothes Vivienne insisted he wear, he noticed it was the Inquisitor’s complete inner circle, as well as some people he assumed were Dante’s mother, father and two elder brothers, Scout Harding and a few others.

Solas had been surprised when Dante had approached Solas and asked if he would do the honours and bind he and Dorian in an ancient ritual, a tradition that had passed down through his family for generations. It was usually done by the closest friend of the groom and Solas didn’t know whether to feel honoured or jealous.

Still, there he stood. Dante was practically buzzing beside him, waiting for Dorian to appear. Solas threw him a comforting smile as Dorian appeared with Felix on his arm. After Alexius had been arrested, Queen Elissa Theirin had conscripted Felix into the Grey Wardens, realising that he had the Blight. Dorian was immensely relieved when Felix survived the joining and found his place among them.

By the end of the ceremony, everyone was either crying or close to tears. Even Solas felt a little emotional. Iron Bull was sobbing into a handkerchief, Vivienne dabbing at her eyes. Cole was flitting around frantically, trying to figure out why everyone was crying.

There was some comic relief, however, when Dante and Dorian were preparing to lead everyone back to Skyhold, Dante scooped Dorian into a bridal carry much to his surprise and carried him all the way back to Skyhold.

“I see you like the frilly cakes.” Dorian mused, wandering over to where Solas was sitting by himself.

“They are surprisingly nice.” Solas hummed. Dorian took the chair opposite him.

“Thank you for doing the ceremony, Solas. It meant a lot to Dante. He doesn’t get to have many good things.” The Tevinter’s eyes drifted over to where the Inquisitor was dancing with his niece.

“Dorian, may I ask you something? When… when did you know you wanted to spend the rest of your life with Dante?”

Dorian’s eyes widened as he poured himself more wine. “Ah, well, that’s complex. Don’t tell anyone I told you this but… I had a dream, a nightmare, where I was at Skyhold with the Inquisition and all, but no one knew who Dante Trevelyan was. Cassandra was the Inquisitor. And it was… horrible. My life without him was just… grey.”

Solas nodded. “I know the feeling.”

**Author's Note:**

> Prompted by the quote, “The world has changed, and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best, and sometimes, the best that we can do, is to start over.” By Peggy Carter in Captain America: The Winter Soldier
> 
> Comments and kudos welcome and appreciated


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